Currently, the celestial body continues its trajectory towards Jupiter.
NASA has released a new image of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, which has called into question established notions about the behavior of comets. As astronomers note, detailed photometric and morphological processing of the data showed that the object, which previously appeared as a dim and unstructured body, exhibits an ordered shape oriented towards the Sun. According to researchers, such characteristics contradict the assumptions underlying long-standing models of cometary activity.
Interest in 3I/ATLAS is heightened against the backdrop of previously recorded anomalies. X-ray observations from the XMM-Newton telescope revealed a so-called 'echo effect' at an energy of about 0.55 keV, comparable to nickel radiation, which also does not fully align with the typical cometary nature of the object. This data has spawned alternative theories about its origin, including hypotheses regarding its artificial nature. Currently, the interstellar object continues its trajectory towards Jupiter, remaining the subject of close scrutiny by the scientific community.
The unusual glow around 3I/ATLAS was first recorded by Hubble on July 21, 2025. Even then, astrophysicists noted that the glowing halo around the object was noticeably elongated in the direction of the Sun. Considering that the angle of observation from Earth at that moment was only 10 degrees from the direction of the star, calculations were made to determine the true size of this structure.
They showed that the actual elongation of the jet is 5.8 times greater than it appears in the image projection, and its overall length is approximately 11.6 times greater than its width. This indicated the existence of a narrowly focused, long stream of material.
New images allowed for the application of more sophisticated analysis methods. After processing the image with the Larson-Sekanina rotational gradient filter, which removes the symmetric glow around the nucleus and enhances the contrast of structures, a complex system consisting of three separate jets emerged.
The main one is the so-called 'anti-tail,' which, according to the latest data, extends up to 400,000 kilometers from the nucleus. It is strictly directed straight at the Sun. Two other smaller jets are positioned at equal angles to each other and to the main one, but notably, they are also not oriented away from the Sun, as would be expected of a classical comet tail.
This phenomenon is considered anomalous, as in ordinary comets, tails formed under the influence of solar wind and light pressure are always directed away from the star. 3I/ATLAS demonstrates a physical 'anti-tail' that exists and maintains its structure despite these forces, indicating unknown physical processes occurring with the object.
The presence of such a powerful jet is not the only mystery of 3I/ATLAS. Detailed observations of the barely noticeable oscillations of the 'anti-tail' as the object approaches the Sun have allowed scientists to conclude about its rotation.
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